But I am really, REALLY tired, so please forgive me for not posting much at this time. I'll fill in the details later.
There were only three pitifully slow tourists behind me, and I kept well ahead. As I walked through the siq to reach the Treasury, Petra's most famous attraction and the focal point of the ruins, I couldn't see anyone around me and the only noises I heard were mine. I felt completely alone.
Walking through the siq to see the Treasury was unbelievable. See a video posted here.
I was the very first person to reach the Treasury, which meant that I had an incredibly rare and much-coveted experience. I had all of Petra all to myself -- for about 5 minutes. Even the Bedouins were still asleep.
The Treasury was just overwhelming.
I hiked up to the top of a hill to look over the valley, with the help of this awesome donkey and my Bedouin guide. When the donkey slipped and I got nervous, the guide said, "Do not worry. You are with the Bedouins!" It was very reassuring.
I saw everything I wanted, took a million pictures (I'm in the process of uploading), and was also the first tourist out of the park in the mid-morning.
I jumped into my car and drove into the mountains, up the King's Highway, and then over to the Dead Sea.
Late in the afternoon, I bought a day pass to one of the fancy beach resorts and used their beach to access the Dead Sea and some fresh-water showers. There was plenty of Dead Sea mud for all.
Next, my mighty Nissan Sentra climbed to the top of Mount Nebo, the place where God showed the Promised Land to Moses just before his death. I could see Israel across the Dead Sea, but it was not clear enough to see Jerusalem or any of the other sights that are visible on very clear days.
Finally, I drove back to Amman, got some dinner, went up to my hotel room, and collapsed on the couch.
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